Current Status and Future Trends: International Workshop on Underwater Archaeology and Cultural Heritage

The workshop consisted of three sessions featuring a total of ten paper presentations and concluded with a roundtable discussion. A total of 127 participants attended, representing diverse backgrounds, including officials from the Bureau of Cultural Heritage, the Ocean Affairs Council, and interdisciplinary students from within and outside the university. The event significantly facilitated cross-sector exchange and dialogue.

Participants greatly benefited from the discussions and actively engaged with the invited international scholars throughout the workshop.

The first session, titled “Current Status of Local Development,” featured presentations by four domestic scholars. The session focused on the current state of underwater archaeological work in Taiwan, developments in marine survey technologies, and the conservation and restoration of recovered artifacts, providing attendees with a comprehensive understanding of Taiwan’s ongoing research and practice.

The second session, “Section Session 2 Stones from Other Hills,” shifted the focus to global perspectives. Three scholars shared diverse case studies, including the shaping of Southeast Asian maritime history through shipwreck archaeology in the Philippines, the development of underwater archaeology in Korea, and research on East Asian shipbuilding traditions in Japan.

The third session featured thematic research presentations, with four scholars addressing topics such as public education and outreach initiatives, human migration across ancient continental landscapes, underwater cultural heritage research in Oceania, and the preservation of ancient vessels and artifacts in the Philippines. These presentations highlighted the global scope of underwater archaeology and demonstrated the many potential directions for future research and interdisciplinary development.